Space within a server system is typically limited. Because of the limited space, conventional motherboards for server systems take up to nearly all of the length of the corresponding chassis. The length of conventional motherboards relative to the chassis can cause problems when assembling the server systems. For example, the I/O interface is typically located on the rear side of a server system's conventional motherboard, and therefore makes it difficult to place the conventional motherboard in the chassis of the server system. This is shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional server system 100, such as a conventional rackmount server system, and the above-described difficulties. The server system 100 includes a conventional motherboard 102. The conventional motherboard 102 is the main board, and therefore has one or more central processing unit sockets 104 and one or more memory chip sockets 106. The conventional motherboard 102 includes an I/O interface 108 with I/O connectors 110 at its rear edge 102a. The conventional motherboard 102 can be slightly longer than the chassis 112, when factoring in the additional length of the I/O connectors 110. The length of the conventional motherboard 102 is intended to maximize area for components—such as the one or more central processing unit sockets 104, the one or more memory chip sockets 106, and the like—at the expense of assembly issues. For example, FIG. 1 shows how the conventional motherboard 102 must be awkwardly angled relative to the chassis 112, while being inserted into the chassis 112. The awkward angle is required so that the I/O interface 108, with the I/O connectors 110 at the rear of the conventional motherboard 102, can extend through the rear panel 114 of the chassis 112. The awkward angle presents difficulty during assembly and can also cause damage to the conventional motherboard 102. In some instances, one or more indicators (not shown), such as LED indicators, can be between and/or near the I/O connectors 110, and the indicators can be similarly damaged during assembly of the conventional motherboard 102 in the chassis 112.
Additionally, from a serviceability point of view, having the I/O interface 108 integral with the conventional motherboard 102 makes changing the I/O interface 108, or one or more I/O connectors 110 on the I/O interface 108, impossible (or at the very least, difficult). To the extent that the I/O interface 108 or one or more I/O connectors 110 can be changed, such a change requires shutdown of the server system.
Accordingly, there is a need for devices that overcome the foregoing drawbacks.